Archduchess Catharina of Habsburg was one of the "officious candidates" to Princess of Asturias. Now, she's happily married to Massimiliano Secco d'Aragona and she is mother of two children and two history books. The last one is about her ancestor Marie Antoinette.

Catharineaof Habsburg-Lorena demystifies the frivolous image of Marie Antoinette and gives "her humanity" back, in a biography written upon familiar and official archives of Paris and Vienna.

Like in her previous work, 'Las Austrias. Matrimonio y raz&#243;n de Estado en la monarqu&#237;a espa&#241;ola', the author author of 'Maria Antonieta’ has wanted to contribute to the historical debate of a new generation of people from the European royalty. When she started to write this biography, published by Esfera de los Libros, she thought that Maria Antonieta "had not had the usual characteristics of the rest of the Austrias, i.e. faith, dedication to their role as queen, austerity and humanity", explained the author. Nevertheless, by "reading and investigating on her, she surprised me because I discovered that she had all these characteristics in his personality, and I discovered a woman that became stronger, because of the problems experienced in her life, and who died guillotined with the dignity that few people had".

Catharina of Habsburg-Lorena assured that to understand the frivolous behaviour of Marie Antoinette "we must put ourselves in her shoes, at a time when having no descendants was much more stressing than it is nowadays". Thus, she took "eight years to get descendants, undergoing all kind of pressures and living invasions to her privacy". In addition, she lacked the attention of her mother, the empress Marie Teresa, who as the "Head of State did not have time for her". All those deficiencies and pressures were "canalized through whims and frivolities", that allowed her to escape from her problems.

Nevertheless, "her behaviour changed, when she realised the weight of the crown and its responsibilities" in the previous years to the French Revolution of 1789.

Besides, Catharina believes that Marie Antoinette "did not have any lovers", since she was not coherent with her own principles, "based on the education and values received from her mother, who considered prostitutes and lovers all the same".

The author insisted on that she does not want to excuse the Archduchess, but "explaining her life in an objective way, neither like an angel nor like a demon".

Catharina of Habsburg-Lorena, Archduchess of Austria, is granddaughter of Emperor Carl I of Austria and of Princess Zita de Borb&#243;n-Parma. She’s graduated in Political Sciences and has a specialization in Law, by the University of Lovaina (Belgium). She has been the director of University SEK of Segovia International Relations and she collaborates with Radio Espa&#241;a. At the moment, she lives near Milan with her husband, Count Massimiliano Secco d'Aragona, and her two children, to whom she dedicates the book, along with King Baudouin of Belgium.

Russian

08-01-2006 07:37 AM

Books about Napoleon

I have read through two books about Napoleon. One of them has been written by Seward Desmond, and another - by Ben Weider. Excuse me, but the first book has not liked me. How much the novel corresponded to the historical validity? Still also I have a question. What death Napoleon has died? From a poisoning or a cancer of a stomach?

Karl

08-18-2006 04:20 AM

Portraits of women in the age of Marie-Antoinette

A new french book with many reproductions of unpublished women portraits of the18thcentury, and a complete iconography of Marie-Antoinette.
The portrait on the cover is by Kucharski and painted in the Prison du Temple in 1792, it is an unpublished one.
The autor - Olivier Blanc- is a specialist of the Louis XVI society and wrote
severals books about women at the end of the 18th century.

Do any of you happen to know if there are books in English on the French royal family?
I know there are several pretenders to the throne, so I am interested in whats available in english particularly of the late Countess Isabelle of Paris.

Thanks in advance for your help.

frank22

11-16-2007 08:52 PM

Books about the royal family of France

I recommend the following books:

1- "L'Album de ma vie"
Author: Isabelle Comtesse de Paris This book is the album of Isabelle d'Orleans life. She was the last Countess of Paris.
Editeur: Perrin 11 avril 2002 Français ISBN: 978-2262018320

2- "Mon Album De Famille"
Author: Michel de Grece
This book is an album of the last Count of Paris, the husband of Isabelle d'Orleans.
Editeur : Royal Books 15 août 2006
Français
ISBN: 978-2262012373

4- “Tout m'est bonheur” de Isabelle, comtesse de ParisTome 1 and 2The is the official biography of the Countess of Paris. She wrote it. Editeur : Robert Laffont 1 novembre 1981 Collection : Vécu Français ISBN: 978-2221008171

Book One of the Marie Antoinette Trilogy - "Vive Madame la Dauphine" is released on 16 October, 2008, to Commemorate the Day of the Guillotine

Soon it will be exactly 215 years since Marie Antoinette was guillotined on the chilly autumn morning of 16 October, 1793. To commemorate this anniversary and challenge popular perceptions about the reign of Louis Auguste ("the Dauphin") and his child bride, Marie Antoinette, André Romijn (author of "Hidden Harmonies: The Secret Life of Antonio Vivaldi") releases his autobiographical novel, "Vive Madame la Dauphine".

In Book One of the Marie Antoinette Trilogy, Romijn brings to life Madame la Dauphine as she transforms herself from an inexperienced 14-year-old arriving in Versailles for her wedding day in 1770, to becoming the fêted then ill-fated Queen of France - a crucial yet largely neglected period of her life.

The sweet smile and the face presented to the world by the charming, young Marie Antoinette would suggest that she wants for nothing; her life seems perfect bliss. Incarcerated within the labyrinthine walls of Europe?s grandest palace, surrounded on all sides by jealousy and intrigue, Marie Antoinette grows up isolated and alone. Her task - to produce an heir and ensure survival of the French Bourbon dynasty is none too easy if Louis Auguste, Dauphin and grandson of the French King Louis XV, refuses to share their marriage bed.

With an unconsummated marriage, how might Marie Antoinette win the heart of "Papa Roi" and avoid being sent home? How will she steer a course through the pitfalls laid by her enemies? What was the real role played by Austrian ambassador, Comte de Mercy? What effect did the Swedish Count Axel von Fersen have upon her young heart and mind? Was it possible for Marie Antoinette to love her husband Louis XVI, or he to love his wife?

What was the role of Marie Antoinette in this scenario and might she have saved herself from the guillotine?

Romijn conducts the reader into the presence of a new Marie Antoinette: a woman capable of holding her own amidst the chaos and acrimony of court life at Versailles; one who rises magnificently to the challenges of sovereignty, motherhood and love, but who allows herself finally and fatally to be caught up in the maelstrom of destruction that is the French Revolution.

Readers can lose themselves in the 18th century life at the Palace of Versailles. And, as if at first hand, they can witness the social change and gathering unrest that ultimately erupted in a malignant outburst that set all of Europe simmering.?

I recommend a lot the biography about Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser. Simply, the best :)

Regards!

Attaining Grace

07-25-2009 10:40 PM

Hi Elisa,

Thank you for telling us about this book. Will it be published in English?

Sereta

07-27-2009 06:22 PM

I love reading anything about Marie Antoinette. I find her fascinating.

espejor

09-17-2009 11:52 AM

What about Empress Eugenia?

grandlordbenji16

11-13-2009 06:50 PM

empress eugenie was the wife of emperor napoleon iii she was overthrowned after the franco-prussian war in 1871 her life was rather sad she was to loose her husband soon after her exile and her son would follow some few years later she was a spanish-born aristocrats who at her time was consider improper for the imperial napoleonic bonaparte prince but she outdone them and became a legend in beauty,fashion and courage in a way her life kind of resemble diana{at least to me}

Rosvall Royal Books has published a new Photobook aboute the descendatns of King Louis Philippe I. of the French. The title is Bourbon-Orleans - A Family Album by prince Michael of Greece. Apparently there are a lot of unseen photos in iot.
You can see the Cover here